Entries by MG Consultants

To Seem More Competent, Be More Confident

Summary.   It’s a common feeling: while you are busy doing a good job, others seem to be advancing much faster in their careers. What’s going on? The answer in many cases is your contributions are not being seen and recognized. One important reason this happens is that people are simply not great at assessing competence — […]

Don’t Let Platforms Commoditize Your Business

Summary Large digital multisided platforms (MSPs) such as Amazon, Alibaba, and Apple’s App Store have made it much easier for sellers to reach new customers, but as thousands of companies large and small have discovered, conducting business on them carries significant risks and costs. MSPs sometimes exploit sellers’ dependency on them in various subtle and […]

Why We Procrastinate When We Have Long Deadlines

Summary   When people are faced with a deadline far in the future, they are more likely to think the assignment is difficult. This leads them to procrastinate, spend more money on completing the assignment, and even risk abandoning it completely. These patterns are important for managers and others setting deadlines to recognize, in large part […]

Remote Workers Need Small Talk, Too

Summary.    Small talk is something many of us miss about going into the office, and for good reason: It helps people feel emotionally connected and boosts collaboration and creativity. Yet not everyone is a fan; some think small talk is inauthentic and a waste of time. To resolve these views, the authors did a 15-day […]

To Retain Employees, Focus on Inclusion — Not Just Diversity

Summary    Employees who differ from most of their colleagues in religion, gender, sexual orientation, socio-economic background, and generation often hide important parts of themselves at work for fear of negative consequences. This makes it difficult to know how these employees feel and what they want, which makes them vulnerable to leaving their organizations. The […]

How to Identify and Tell Your Most Powerful Stories

Summary.   Leaders often shy away from sharing personal stories in their talks and presentations. Why? Because they’re afraid of exposing their flaws or struggles. But this is such a missed opportunity to connect with your audience. Instead of keeping your most impactful stories hidden, dig them up and use them. Start by thinking through the nouns […]

TIME TO TALK DAY: 5 WAYS TO HELP BUILD A MENTALLY HEALTHY WORKFORCE

Today is Time to Talk Day, an initiative to start conversations about mental health and help end the stigma. Natalie Rogers, Chief People Officer at Unum The pandemic has tested both our physical and mental wellbeing in a way we couldn’t have imagined previously. So, as our thoughts turn to building a stronger and better business […]

Imagine a Hiring Process Without Resumes

    Despite near record unemployment during the Covid-19 recession, plenty of employers will face major challenges in hiring low-skill, entry-level workers when economic conditions improve. This is, in part, because the overall U.S. workforce will grow only 0.4% in the next several decades. A big part of the problem of finding low-skill workers is the barriers employers create […]